“I’ll call you later. Maybe.”
The line goes dead.
I sit frozen at my desk, Trevor’s words echoing in my head.When he gets hurt, he shuts down completely.
Is that what happened this morning? Is Daniel already pushing me away?
I glance toward his office. Through the glass walls, I can see him on a call, gesturing with one hand. He looks perfectly composed, completely unaffected.
Meanwhile, I’m falling apart.
***
That evening, Gretchen shows up at my apartment with Thai food and wine.
“Emergency best friend intervention,” she announces, pushing past me into the living room. “You’ve been weird for days, and I’m not leaving until you tell me everything.”
I sink onto the couch beside her. “It’s complicated.”
“Everything with you is complicated lately. Start talking.”
So I do. I tell her about the kiss on the terrace, about Daniel opening up about his past, about the photoshoot, about what happened on my desk.
Gretchen listens without interrupting, her expression shifting from shock to concern to something that might be sympathy.
“So let me get this straight,” she says when I finish. “Your fake relationship is not so fake anymore, and now Daniel is acting like nothing happened?”
“That about sums it up.”
“Bay.” She sets down her wine. “This is a disaster.”
“I know.”
“But you’re in love with him.”
I choke on my wine. “I’m not—”
“Don’t lie to me. I can see it all over your face. You’re in love with Daniel Williams.”
I open my mouth to deny it. To say it’s just attraction or … or just chemistry or proximity. Nothing serious, but the words won’t come.
Because she’s right.
“I can’t be in love with him,” I whisper. “This was supposed to be business.”
“Feelings don’t care about business arrangements.” Gretchen takes my hand. “The question is, what are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing. He made it pretty clear this morning that last night was a mistake.”
“Did he say that?”
“He didn’t have to. He treated me like I was nothing.”
“Or maybe he’s scared. He probably doesn’t know how to handle this any more than you do.”
I shake my head. “Trevor warned me. He said Daniel pushes people away.”
“Then don’t let him.” Gretchen squeezes my hand. “If he means something to you, fight for it. Be honest. Tell him how you feel.”
